Flooding forced a full southbound closure of I-43 at Becher on Wednesday, April 15, as water spread across major Milwaukee County roadways and shut down other stretches of the freeway network. A full northbound closure at Holt was expected, and additional closures were in place at I-43 and Mitchell, along with both directions near the Stadium Interchange on Brewers Boulevard.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office said all southbound lanes were closed at Becher because of flooding. Marquette University police also issued multiple alerts warning of dangerous conditions near campus, telling people not to drive near 15th and Kilbourn and urging them to stay inside, avoid standing water and not drive through flooded areas. Jeff Fleming said crews were out across the city to address street flooding, and people could report flooded streets by calling 414-286-CITY.
The closures underscored how quickly the flood warning spread from one part of the city to another on Wednesday, with freeway traffic, campus access and neighborhood streets all affected at once. Officials also warned that conditions could worsen and told drivers who had to travel to plan ahead and use caution, a warning that echoed other recent flood notices across the region, including alerts for Waupaca County and Portage County and a separate flood warning on Kauai.
The immediate question now is how long Milwaukee can keep the roads open once the water starts to fall. For drivers near I-43, the answer depends on whether crews can clear the flooded spots fast enough to reopen the southbound lanes at Becher and the other closures tied to the same storm-driven surge.
